The Truth Project: Veritology
Veritology: What is Truth?
I had heard about The Truth Project several months ago. After viewing the introductory video, I was instantly interested in attending. At the time (back in March), the closest presentation was about a three hour drive away. I noticed that there would be a training session much closer to my home in September. However, my dear Christian friend, Dran, sent me an email last week and invited me to a training session at her home! Praise God!
Here is what she shared:
“In a recent study, the Barna Research Group revealed a stunning statistic that continues to reverberate throughout the evangelical world. Only 9 percent of professing Christians have a biblical worldview.
Because of this, today's believers live very similarly to non-believers. A personal sense of significance is rarely experienced, we spend our money and time on things that fail to satisfy and we begin to wonder what life's ultimate purpose really is. We are, in short, losing our bearings as a people and a nation.
To counter this slide within the body of Christ, we are launching one of the most ambitious and powerful projects in the history of our ministry—Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project.”
The primary purpose of this study…is to facilitate transformation among those who are exposed to it. That inevitably occurs when a person comes face-to-face with God Himself. It happened to Isaiah when he had such an encounter. The prophet described it this way:
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. . . . 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.' Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.' Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" (Isaiah 6:1; 5-8; NIV)
I am afraid that the vast majority of God's people in our culture today are unaware of our enemy's schemes. That is why we are not faring well in the battle.
There is one central theme running through The Truth Project: the Truth that we seek — and the Truth that stands directly opposed to the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil — is found ultimately in the character and being of God Himself. That is why, over and over again, the DVD curriculum begins and ends with Him.
The Truth Project sounded very similar to several books that I had recently read; including John MacArthur's "The Truth War," and "The Truth About Tolerance: Pluralism, Diversity and the Culture Wars," by Brad Stetson and Joseph G. Conti. Much of Greg Koukl's great apologetics resources at Stand to Reason.org also have provided information regarding the question, "what is truth?" and how we should share it.
Well, after attending just the first installment, I can already state that The Truth Project is absolutely awesome! What an extremely valuable resource it will be for you in your walk with Christ and evangelism experiences!
The truth is desperately needed during these times of lies, confusion, and moral relativism.
Lesson One is called, "Veritology: What is Truth?"
People...the answer is that the TRUTH is, and lives, in Jesus Christ! God's Word reveals the absolute truth of this fact!
I will be discussing my notes and personal reactions to the first lesson over the course of this week. For now, I will simply share the lesson guide information to whet your appetites for more!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you seek out this study (or start one yourself!!) at your church and/or with your own home Bible study group. It is THAT GOOD!!
You will notice some questions at the bottom of this post. Any Christian believer who knows Jesus Christ and has studied the "meat" of the Bible could probably answer some, if not all of the questions. Feel free to post your answers in the comment section.
I plan to go into much more detail about the first lesson, as well as share my own personal answers to those questions here at Talk Wisdom.
This study WILL CHALLENGE YOU! The last question is one that every Christian needs to answer:
"Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" How can we know what we really believe?
In Jesus,
Christine
*******
In this initial episode, students receive a general introduction to the overall scope and purpose of The Truth Project. This series is designed to take participants on a guided worldview tour, following the points of the worldview compass, a tool designed to direct our thinking with regard to four fundamental issues: Truth, God, Man, and the Social Order. Along the way, we will attempt to build a logical, systematic framework of ideas by which to organize and evaluate the various truth claims to be encountered during the course of our tour. Our ultimate goal is not simply to gain knowledge, but to look upon the face of God – and to be transformed in the process.
Themes
Our destination in Lesson 1 lies due North. The focal point for this first hour of discussion is the concept of Truth itself.
What is truth?
Why is it important?
What role does it play in the biblical view of the world, God's purpose for the cosmos, His will for mankind, His plan of salvation, and the way we live our personal lives?
In his comments on this subject, Dr. Del Tackett will demonstrate how truth was fundamental to the mission of Jesus Christ in the world; how it forms the heart of the Cosmic Battle that has been raging since the beginning; how this battle has divided the world into two opposing camps or sides; how lies, the antithesis of Truth, take human hearts and minds captive by the power of deception; and how every man and woman now stands in the position of having to choose between God's truth claims and the opposing perspective of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
To answer the question "what is truth?" Dr. Tackett consults the 1828 edition of Webster's Dictionary which defines truth "Conformity to fact or reality ..." We will also see how popular notions of truth (represented by man on the street interviews) contrast sharply with the biblical concept (as articulated by Ravi Zacharias, Os Guinness, and R. C. Sproul).
Points to Watch for
Dr. Tackett concludes that, in almost every case, the perspective of contemporary culture stands in direct opposition to the Truth-centered worldview presented in the Bible. In the process of making this case, he advances the bold claim that our culture is not only filled with lies but is actually heading in the direction of social insanity. As a result, he proposes that Pilate's query – "What is truth?"– is the most important question facing our society today. He ends Lesson 1 by challenging his audience with this all-important question: "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?"
Discussion Questions
What did you see on this tour?
Jesus stated plainly that He had come into the world "to testify to the truth" (John 18:37). Exactly what did He mean by this, and how is this claim connected with those other aspects of Jesus’ mission – for example, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing – that we more naturally associate with the ultimate purpose of His advent?
How does one’s concept of truth affect or determine one's concept of faith?
What is the key point of distinction between the biblical concept of truth and popular cultural ideas about truth? How is this point related to the concept of insanity?
Read 2 Timothy 2:24, 26 and Colossians 4:5, 6. Why does Paul advise believers to be "gentle" rather than "quarrelsome" in their dealings with outsiders? How does our understanding of the Cosmic Battle affect the way we relate to non-believers?
Dr. Tackett poses the question, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" How can we know what we really believe?
HT: The Truth Project.org
Go to site to view a video trailer.
With special thanks to my friend Dran!
Labels: The Truth Project Study
posted by Christinewjc @ 9:56 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Question: What did you see on this tour?
Answer: I saw several things. First, is the absolute truth that is found only through Jesus Christ and in God's Word, the Bible.
The people who were interviewed in the video did not have very solid, coherent, or convincing answers when asked, "What is Truth?"
Personally, I think that it is an easy question when one knows Jesus Christ and has studied (and comprehends) the messages that God is revealing in Scripture. Without that solid foundation, a person can be easily led astray and towards the "next best thing" (in their minds, that is); even if that "thing" is drawing them away from the God of the universe!
Question: Jesus stated plainly that He had come into the world "to testify to the truth" (John 18:37). Exactly what did He mean by this, and how is this claim connected with those other aspects of Jesus’ mission – for example, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing – that we more naturally associate with the ultimate purpose of His advent?
When Jesus states that he came for the reason "to testify to the truth," it means that he knows, follows, and IS the Truth! Without Truth as a foundation, all of Jesus' other claims would not matter. Since Jesus Himself IS the Truth, and testifies to the truth, we can TRUST him with our lives. Thus, what He has proclaimed as "the way, the truth and the life," can also be trusted. Forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing begins with our acknowledgement that we are sinful and in desperate need of the Savior! Repentance of our sin at the foot of the cross of Christ is the only way to be reconciled back to Father God.
Question: How does one’s concept of truth affect or determine one's concept of faith?
Answer: People can be deceived into believing anything - whether it is legitimately true or not. Christianity is both a reasonable faith and an evidential faith. We have the fact of history on our side that Jesus Christ lived, preached for 3 years, suffered for our sakes, died a substitutionary death for us, and rose again from the dead. He lives evermore and is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
The Bible tells us, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." We do not know everything, but we certainly know enough because of all that has been revealed about Jesus in the Scriptures. The Bible testifies about, and points to - Jesus Christ - as the long-awaited Messiah in the Old Testament. Hundreds of prophecies have already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. That fact alone gives us the confidence to believe that all the rest of the prophecies will also be fulfilled at his Second Coming.
Question: What is the key point of distinction between the biblical concept of truth and popular cultural ideas about truth? How is this point related to the concept of insanity?
I loved hearing the fact that this study will show us that there is no direction/area in life where God has not spoken. This study will be a tour of extraordinary worth! We will examine truth claims in logical order. When we turn and gaze upon the face of God through this study; we cannot help but to be deeply affected!
Jesus' truth claims do not play well in this "tolerant" world. But the fact is that the Spirit of Truth battles against the spirit of falsehood. This is the cosmic battle that has been going on ever since Satan was cast out of heaven and the fall of man occured.
Satan's lies counter God's Truth. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan still uses his same old tricks against man - "did God really say?"
Getting man to doubt God's Word, His goodness, His Righteousness, Judgment and Love for us is how Satan, the enemy of our souls, keeps us in bondage to sin.
Jesus came to "set the captives free." What a beautiful Savior we have! What a wonderful salvation message! There is a close link between salvation and truth. (see Eph. 6:14)
There is also a close link between sin and the issue of the raging cosmic battle for our souls. Every sin's goal is to turn us back to belief in the lie. Satan wants to keep us prisoners in sin. As Del stated, Satan wants to keep us in "POW clothes." (Col. 4:5-6 (NAS)
Read 2 Timothy 2:24, 26 and Colossians 4:5, 6. Why does Paul advise believers to be "gentle" rather than "quarrelsome" in their dealings with outsiders? How does our understanding of the Cosmic Battle affect the way we relate to non-believers?
We are to view outsiders as captives - that is what we were! Therefore, we must be gentle in our witnessing to those still under the curse of Satan.
Isaiah 44:17 equates an idol to a lie. People bowed down to a block of wood - asking it to "save them." Idol worship often leads to insane things! How foolish is it to bow down to a block of wood?
Insanity is "the loss of touch with reality." People in such a state believe that the lie is real. This is a description of common insanity.
The ultimate source of truth is God. Col. 2:2-3 (NAS) asks us will he not care for you - oh you of little faith?
The truth claims of God gives us hope, trust, and faith. Jesus talked about us having "the faith of a child."
The video showed incredible faith in a child at the end of a diving board at a pool. We see him overcome his fear - faith overcomes our feelings - we grab hold of Him! Jesus! We hang onto Him!
Just like that child who overcame his initial fear and jumped into the pool - towards the waiting arms of his loving mother - we are to trust the God who loves us! Doing so, connects our faith to our emotions. We can trust Him with our lives - now and in eternity!
Question: Dr. Tackett poses the question, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" How can we know what we really believe?
My answer to that first question is YES! Completely! I know it's real because Jesus is real. God's Word is trustworthy and true. Nothing else in the world matters but to be reconciled back to our Creator who loves us!
I know what I really believe because I have been studying the Bible for over 20 years. It is the inerrant Word of God which points towards Jesus Christ from Genesis to Revelation.
Besides the trustworthiness of the Bible, I have also had divine encounters and spiritual experiences over the years that have cemented my confidence in knowing that what I believe is really real and true!
Updated answers to the same questions:
Questions and answers for the first lesson.
Question: What did you see on this tour?
Answer: I saw several things. First, is the fact that absolute truth is found only through Jesus Christ and in God's Word, the Bible.
The people who were interviewed in the video did not have very solid, coherent, or convincing answers when asked, "What is Truth?"
Personally, I think that it is an easy question when one knows Jesus Christ and has studied (and comprehends) the messages that God is revealing in Scripture. Without that solid foundation, a person can be easily led astray and towards the "next best thing" - in their minds, that is - even if that "thing" is drawing them away from the God of the universe!
Question: Jesus stated plainly that He had come into the world "to testify to the truth" (John 18:37). Exactly what did He mean by this, and how is this claim connected with those other aspects of Jesus’ mission – for example, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing – that we more naturally associate with the ultimate purpose of His advent?
When Jesus states that he came for the reason "to testify to the truth," it means that he knows, follows, and IS the Truth! Without Truth as a foundation, all of Jesus' other claims would not matter. Since Jesus Himself IS the Truth, and testifies TO the truth, we can TRUST him with our lives. Thus, what He has proclaimed as "the way, the truth and the life," can also be trusted. Forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing begins with our acknowledgement that we are sinful and in desperate need of the Savior! Repentance of our sin at the foot of the cross of Christ is the only way to be reconciled back to Father God.
Question: How does one’s concept of truth affect or determine one's concept of faith?
Answer: People can be deceived into believing anything - whether it is legitimately true or not. Christianity is both a reasonable faith and an evidential faith. We have the fact of history on our side that Jesus Christ lived, preached for 3 years, suffered for our sakes, died a death as our substitution for us and our sins, and rose again from the dead. He lives evermore and is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
The Bible tells us, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." We do not know everything, but we certainly know enough because of all that has been revealed about Jesus in the Scriptures. The Bible testifies about, and points to - Jesus Christ - as the long-awaited Messiah in the Old Testament. Hundreds of prophecies have already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. That fact alone gives us the confidence to believe that all of the rest of the prophecies will also be fulfilled at his Second Coming.
Question: What is the key point of distinction between the biblical concept of truth and popular cultural ideas about truth? How is this point related to the concept of insanity?
I loved hearing the fact that this study will show us that there is no direction/area in life where God has not spoken. That is a profound truth that people often overlook.
This study will be a tour of extraordinary worth! We will examine truth claims in logical order. When we turn and gaze upon the face of God through this study; we cannot help but to be deeply affected!
Jesus' truth claims do not play well in this "tolerant" world. But the fact is that the Spirit of Truth battles against the spirit of falsehood. This is the cosmic battle that has been going on ever since Satan was cast out of heaven and the fall of man occurred.
Satan's lies counter God's Truth. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan still uses his same old tricks against man - "did God really say?" Every lie is based on that phrase. What leads us down the path of lies?
Getting man to doubt God's Word.
Getting man to doubt God's goodness.
Getting man to doubt God's Holiness and Righteousness.
Getting man to doubt the reality of the need for God's Righteous Judgment of sin.
Getting man to doubt God's Love for us.
Getting man to doubt that He sent His Son to take our sins away.
Getting man to fall for the deceptions of Satan, the enemy of our souls, whose lies help keep us in bondage to sin.
Jesus came to "set the captives free." What a beautiful Savior we have! What a wonderful salvation message! There is a close link between salvation and truth. (see Eph. 6:14)
There is also a close link between sin and the issue of the raging cosmic battle for our souls. Every sin's goal is to turn us back to belief in the lie. Satan wants to keep us prisoners in sin. As Del dramatically pointed out in the video, Satan wants to keep us in "POW clothes." (also see Col. 4:5-6) (NAS)
Question: Read 2 Timothy 2:24, 26 and Colossians 4:5, 6. Why does Paul advise believers to be "gentle" rather than "quarrelsome" in their dealings with outsiders? How does our understanding of the Cosmic Battle affect the way we relate to non-believers?
We are to view outsiders as captives - that is what we were! Therefore, we must be gentle in our witnessing to those still under the curse of Satan.
Admittedly, this can oftentimes be difficult to do. Those who are under the power of deception are not easily brought out of it. In may encounters with non-believers, I am often told that I am "speaking another language" to them.
A huge part of the reason for this is the fact that without Christ indwelling the heart, the Bible is difficult to discern. Those not born again in Jesus Christ do not have the guidance of the Holy Spirit who "leads us into all truth."
For example. In the last post (Oprah's False Religion), recall that Oprah thought, in her own mind, that the idea that God is a "jealous God" did not sit well with her. I would suspect that it probably has a lot to do with her feelings towards being tolerant. I don't think that Jesus was being tolerant when he proclaimed that he is "the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
When Oprah stated, "God is jealous of me?" she unequivocally displayed her lack of proper biblical exegesis, hermeneutics, scholarly interpretation, and understanding of why God tells us that He is a jealous God.
What is the first commandment? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
God is not "jealous" of Oprah. He does not want ANYONE to perish! He wants all to come to salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Naturally, God does not want any of His children turned towards false gods, religion, or any other idols.
Question: Isaiah 44:17 equates an idol to a lie. People bowed down to a block of wood - asking it to "save them." Idol worship often leads to insane things! How foolish is it to bow down to a block of wood?
As was pointed out in the Oprah example above, a lie can lead one to idol worship! What is Oprah's target for worship? I'll let you answer that question.
Insanity is "the loss of touch with reality." People in such a state believe that the lie is real. This is a description of common insanity.
The ultimate source of truth is God. Col. 2:2-3 (NAS) asks us will he not care for you - oh you of little faith?
The truth claims of God gives us hope, trust, and faith. Jesus talked about us having "the faith of a child."
The video showed incredible faith in a child at the end of a diving board at a pool. We see him overcome his fear - faith overcomes our feelings - we grab hold of Him! We grab hold of Jesus! We hang onto Him!
Just like that child who overcame his initial fear and jumped into the pool towards the waiting arms of his loving mother, we are to trust the God who loves us! Doing so, connects our faith to our emotions. We can trust Him with our lives - now and in eternity!
Question: Dr. Tackett poses the question, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" How can we know what we really believe?
My answer to that first question is YES! Completely! I know it's real because Jesus is real. God's Word is trustworthy and true. Nothing else in the world matters but to be reconciled back to our Creator who loves us!
I know what I really believe because I have been studying the Bible for over 20 years. It is the inerrant Word of God which points towards Jesus Christ from Genesis to Revelation.
Besides the trustworthiness of the Bible, I have also had divine encounters and personal, spiritual experiences over the years that have cemented my confidence in knowing that what I believe is really real and true!
*******
Dear The Truth Project small group members. Please feel free, if led to do so, to share your individual answers to these questions!
Dear visitors and commenters here at Talk Wisdom . Please feel free, if led to do so, to share your individual answers to these questions! Even if you have not seen the video, you can still share your thoughts on these matters based on your own private Bible reading and studying!
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